This invention relates to gun sights that are used on firearms such rifles, pistols, or shotguns. It is well suited for rapid fire weapons such as semi-automatic rifles and pistols, or fully-automatic weapons used by the military.
Gun sights are devices attached to a gun which aid the shooter in aiming the gun at a target. The sights most commonly used on rifles and pistols are the notch sights and peep sights. Telescopic sights are also used by shooters. The notch sights and peep sights have several problems caused by the way they are designed. Some of these problems are listed below:
1. The sights are not easy to learn to use and require considerable practice and expense for an individual to master.
2. The solid construction of the sight causes a part of the target and the surrounding area to be blocked from the view of the shooter.
3. It is difficult to keep the sights aligned while moving the gun, making it harder to hit a moving target.
4. The solid construction of the sight causes it to be ineffective in low light conditions such as dusk or dawn.
5. Rapid target acquisition is difficult because of the nature of the alignment of the sights.
Telescopic sights restrict the shooter's view of the surrounding area, are slow to sight and are expensive.
Inventors have obtained patents on designs for sights that attempt to overcome some of these problems. Cooper, Howells, and Wing, and others have obtained patents from designs which use transparent material to overcome the problem of restricted visibility. Russell, Trippi, and Dindinger have obtained patents for designs that use open sights to overcome the problem of restricted visibility. Howells, Rickert Plisk, and others have patent designs which deal with the problem of ineffectiveness in low light conditions.
It is to be noted that the sights are attached to the gun and the target is normally a large distance from the shooter. Because of the distance involved, a minor improvement in the sight can mean a major improvement in the ability of the shooter to hit the target.